Boat anglers may no longer retain cabezon

July 17, 2012

NEWPORT – Beginning Saturday, July 21, sport anglers fishing from boats may not retain cabezon. Fishing for other bottomfish – such as most rockfish species, lingcod and greenling – remains open.

Landing data for the sport fishery indicates the ocean and estuary boat harvest cap of 15.8 metric tons for cabezon has been met. Sport boat anglers may continue to harvest other legal species, but may not retain cabezon.

Shore anglers, including shore-based divers, may still keep cabezon.

“Cabezon have an excellent survival rate when released,” said Lynn Mattes, project leader for marine recreational groundfish fisheries for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

“Unlike rockfish, cabezon do not have swim bladders and therefore do not suffer from barotrauma (expansion or rupture of the swim bladder when the fish are brought up from deep waters) that can cause stress, injury, and sometimes death in rockfish.”